Prime Minister grabs President’s Grounds

The warning came from residents of St Ann’s, Cascade, and Hololo who held an emergency meeting at the Cotton Tree Foundation in Cascade Thursday night to discuss the Prime Minister’s proposal to take President’s Grounds for his private use. They met under the umbrella of the St Ann’s, Cascade and Hololo Community Group, (SACHCG).

In airing their views, the residents stated that the Prime Minister was insensitive to what the President’s Grounds means to them and their children.

What irked them they said, was that they learnt about the Prime Minister’s decision through the proverbial grapevine — "no consultation whatsoever."

Curtis Bateau, President of the Grassroots Association of St Ann’s, said he learnt about it through a Udecott source. He sought more information as to why among other things, the residents were not consulted.

The reply from the Prime Minister’s office was curt and contrary to what he expected.

The Prime Minister’s office recommended that the Grassroot Association apply for use of an appropriate ground within the Queen’s Park Savannah. But the residents thought the Prime Minister was out of place, because they never asked him for an alternative ground.

Speaker after speaker lambasted the Prime Minister for his "cavalier" decision. They wanted to know why the Prime Minister should want to take the President’s Grounds for his private use.

The meeting heard that for more than three generations, the President’s Grounds has been the centre of community life as a public open space for both organised and casual recreation.

One speaker thought it was arrogance on the part of the Prime Minister. Richard Fakoory, chairman of the popular Superstar Rangers Football Club, said members enjoyed the privilege of playing on that ground for more than 40 years.

He also noted that the Northern Rugby Club had been using the facility for even longer than 40 years. He said many other sportsmen used ground — including Clayton Morris, a former TT football captain and Ian Bishop, a former West Indies cricketer.

Senior Counsel Desmond Allum who lives in the area, is chairman of the Cotton Tree Foundation and president of the Superstar Rangers Club, also addressed the gathering.

Allum is a former PNM representative for the constituency.

He said, "President’s Grounds is the only recreational space available to all the young people of St Ann's, Cascade and Hololo. "I find it very difficult to understand why in the same year Trinidad is going to the World Cup in Germany and everybody is taking pride in the Soca Warriors that one cannot see the direct relationship between the recreational space, the fact that we are going to Germany this year and how all those things contribute to the strength of the community.

"At the very least, it seems to me to be a little insensitive."

Allum also explained that against the background of rising incidents of crime, he could not see how persons in authority cannot see the direct relationship between engaging young people in sport and healthy activities and the degradation that takes place when they do not have access to those facilities.

He noted that it was not by accident that areas like Laventille and Morvant experience undesirable criminal activities in a relative way, St Ann's, Cascade and Hololo are spared of such activities.

Allum urged members of the community to resist the Prime Minister’s plans.

When contacted yesterday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning referred Newsday to Udecott.